Detroit's problems go much deeper than just the auto industry ups and downs. Race relations here for the last 100 years are at least as big a contributor to the demise of the inner city. The 1967 riots are a popular whipping boy. Problem there is that everyone ignores all the white-on-black rioting that happened here in the 40's and 50's. When the city hired its first black firefighter in the 50's, for example, white thugs went around turning over cars that had black drivers in them. The inability for different kinds of folks to get along looms large here, but it's dissipating as the generations move on. The inner city has been making a slow, steady comeback over the last 20 years or so, BTW. The retail space and blight conditions are gradually improving, but there is a long way to go. And yes, the roads all over this state are in sorry condition. The freeways in the city are among the best maintained around though.
Detroit once had a trolley system all the way up and down the main Woodward corridor. GM bought the streetcar system from the city (in the 40's or 50's), and destroyed it. The city recently broke ground on a similar new system that should be functional within a year or so. I don't think we'll see GM being allowed to buy and destroy it again.
Charging stations aren't that rare here...most of the real points of interest in Detroit are within walking distance of level 2 chargers. Ann Arbor is even better. Nissan has quick chargers all over here (at their dealerships) just like they do everywhere. I don't know of any Tesla chargers here though. I see Model S's occasionally. I see probably a dozen Volts a day during my regular 14 mile (one way) commute. They're all over the place--we're not ALL reactionary twits here.
